CD or download?

Personally, I just don't feel satisfied with a download. I need to have the CD, in it's case, with a sleeve, with good artwork and useful information. Something that I can put on my shelf and see, to feel like I've got something for my money.

I recall older friends and family saying similar things about the transition from vinyl to CD, so am I just a modern 'old fashioned' sausage, or are downloads really as impersonal as i think they are?

Personally I find downloading makes it more practicable. The cost of CD's combined with shipping and handling makes it pretty expensive. Also, I don't find the quality a problem at all and WoB makes the CD cover available and I don't have to wait three to five weeks for the CD to arrive via snail male.

Now, having said all that, when I first used the download option I burned a backup CD. Recently though, I've found that it's no longer possible to burn CD's. I haven't been able to figure out if it's something I'm doing (or not doing), but I don't think so.

That's my opinion and I've been buying music from the U.K. for over 40 years.

I don't tend to buy CD's any more at all, and all my music is downloaded, usually from iTunes. I have no issue with the quality and don't think I have turned on my Hi-Fi unit to play a CD for well over a year.

I tend to agree with the old-fashioned approach. If you buy a CD, you have a physical 'thing' in your hand, which justifies the £15.00 you've just spent. A download might well be quick and more practical, but to me, an icon on a screen is just not the same.

When I buy a CD (rare nowadays, as I've got everything I need), I want to go into a decent classical department of a record store (the old Tower Records, Piccadilly was great) and choose from the shiny lovely things I see on offer. To me, a 'virtual' cd is not the same, mind you, I've still got a wall full of LP's!

What happens if you are one of those numpty people who never back up your hard drive (like my missus!)? There are plenty of you out there!

What happens if you are one of those numpty people who never back up your hard drive (like my missus!)? There are plenty of you out there!

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Oi! 4 years without much of a hitch is a good run! (no excuse for not backing it up though!).

It really depends on your needs. I personally like the idea of downloading occasional tracks on discs that I want without having to get the rest of them which I usually have elsewhere or don't want initially. Problem is what quality of file is on offer for the price of download.

I want to go into a decent classical department of a record store (the old Tower Records, Piccadilly was great) and choose from the shiny lovely things I see on offer. To me, a 'virtual' cd is not the same,!

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Exactly! Which kind of leads me to a second question, which would be - How do people discover new music these days?

There are multiple routes obviously - radio, TV, friends influences etc. But a big one for me has always been, spending a couple of hours working my way through the racks of CD's in a music store, reading the backs of CD's and trying my luck.

there is something really satisfying about flicking through your CD rack (or, in my case, the 5 CD racks) and finding a disc you've not listened to for ages! I do download music - mainly for dancing as I can then pop it on my trusty Zen and use if for practice without having to fork out £20 for a CD (ballroom discs are NOT cheap!)

Download whenever possible, for me. I haven't listened to anything that wasn't loaded on my iPod in about two years.

If I do buy a CD, I use it once - to copy onto the computer so I can load it onto my iPod.

I don't think I've actually listened to anything on an actual CD for about two years.

There are multiple routes obviously - radio, TV, friends influences etc. But a big one for me has always been, spending a couple of hours working my way through the racks of CD's in a music store, reading the backs of CD's and trying my luck.

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I do much the same thing with the online services such as iTunes, with the added bonus that instead of just reading the back of the CD I can sample the tracks themselves. And I don't have to leave my house or deal with surly clerks at the music store (which in the US are quickly dying out - it is very rare . And, at least over here, most of the stores that still sell CDs only stock what's popular anyway. I've found that it's actually easier to find obscure gems with online searches rather than going through a CD rack in a store.

Exactly! Which kind of leads me to a second question, which would be - How do people discover new music these days?

There are multiple routes obviously - radio, TV, friends influences etc. But a big one for me has always been, spending a couple of hours working my way through the racks of CD's in a music store, reading the backs of CD's and trying my luck.

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Let's not forget the internet in this list!

I have purchased many albums from iTunes after first hearing the music on one of the mayriad of internet radio stations. I regularly listen to DI Chillout or DI Ambient channels and they are always coming up with stuff I haven't heard.

Another super channel for prog rock aficionados is Auralmoon. I have heard some fantastic stuff on that channel and the number of awesome new prog rock tracks and albums is superb. For those who like the génre, have a search for a group called FROST and listen to their superb tracks 'Milliontown' and 'Hyperventilate' - awesome stuff, especially the latter.

I generally don't buy cds because I don't see the point when I can download music for less money. I don't really appreciate the physical value of a cd.

I do have a soft spot for vinyl though - For me, with vinyl the attraction is that you're purchasing something really pretty - nice artwork etc. And also I just love the look and feel of a record itself because it is shiny and groovy and bendy.
I also love the sound of vinyl and the way old records will pop and jump because of scratches etc. And the way the pitch will bend as the record sways slightly when it's going around...

...I think I just like old things really...

When looking for new music to listen to I think Last Fm is great (http://www.last.fm )- especially the radio player where you can listen to stuff by 'tags' or 'similar artists.'

I generally don't buy cds because I don't see the point when I can download music for less money. I don't really appreciate the physical value of a cd.

I do have a soft spot for vinyl though - For me, with vinyl the attraction is that you're purchasing something really pretty - nice artwork etc. And also I just love the look and feel of a record itself because it is shiny and groovy and bendy.
I also love the sound of vinyl and the way old records will pop and jump because of scratches etc. And the way the pitch will bend as the record sways slightly when it's going around...

...I think I just like old things really...

When looking for new music to listen to I think Last Fm is great (http://www.last.fm )- especially the radio player where you can listen to stuff by 'tags' or 'similar artists.'

The value of CDs (and old vinyl LPs) becomes apparent as one gets older. You can look at your shelves of recordings and say, "These are my possessions. I worked hard to earn the money to buy these things. They are the physical embodiment of my interest in music. I achieved something in life". Your collection becomes a physical part of the fabric of your life, part of your lounge furniture. And of course, threre is a slight streak of pride involved as well - I like it when my visitors look at my collection, take an interest in it, say nice things about it and tacitly recognise that I am sufficiently affluent to have been able to afford it (sheer vanity!)

One can't really say the same for a music collection which is lodged, out of sight, on a titchy MP3 player in your coat pocket or on your computer upstairs in the bedroom or study. After years of graft and toil, it doesn't look much to have accumulated.

Years ago people were predicting that the Internet and online books would spell the end of the traditional book. They were entirely wrong, for exactly the same reasons outlined above.

As I say, you will appreciate all this as you get older and more content with your lot in life.... (puts on slippers, puffs pipe and dozes off in favourite armchair).

I download a fair bit now, and 99% of the music I listen to is via the ipod, but....
on a trivial level there's something really satisfying about having the CDs there to flick through, and I'm one of those sad gits that actually reads the blurb; and on a practical point I still listen to test pieces and other things-in-movements from the CD because I find the artificial breaks caused by downloading really, really annoying.

I'm a supporter of all things digital but I must admit that I do have a certain "pride in ownership" thing about CD's. I do like the fact that I've got about 10 racks stuffed full of CD's . I have the the same feeling about DVD and am proud to say that I have never downloaded a DVD from a torrent site ever. I like having all the boxes stacked up in alphabetical order. It adds something to the media to walk in and see almost a whole wall lined with CD's and DVD's.

Having said that, I must admit that I have ripped both my music and video collections to the home media centre purely for ease of access. Its great to sit in front of the TV and flick through the album or DVD covers to select either music or video. In terms of quality I must admit that I have never heard much difference between a CD and an MP3 encoded at my preferred rate of 320kbs. Certainly at lower bitrates I can hear the difference but not at that high.

i dont even own a cdplayer anymore, everything is eithero n my laptop or on my mp3 walkman, infact i dont actually own anything that will play a cd except my computer

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Ditto! I do all my listening via my ipod or i-tunes on my pc. Does anyone know what happens to one's i-tunes if one's computer dies? Mine's on its last legs and I'm a bit worried that I'll lose all the stuff I've downloaded when it finally gives up the ghost.

Due to a ruling by an American Court, Apple might be ceasing it's ITunes business.

Someone wants more money per song and Apple have said that if it happens they will stop running ITunes unless someone else soaks the extra royalties charge. They are in it to make money and if they can't make money then they will stop doing it.

The increase is about 3p per song. So from something like 4p per song to 7p.